LAS International Programs
Newsletters
LAS
International On-line
Vol. 5, No. 11
March 1, 2007
Affirming a Commitment to Global Learning
www.las.iastate.edu/students/international/
LAS International On-Line is the bi-monthly on-line publication
of the International Programs of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. LAS
International is part of LAS' on-going efforts to coordinate all aspects of
international activities within the College including international studies,
study abroad, exchange agreements, research and outreach.
Features
CHIMPS HUNTING WITH TOOLS - Chimpanzees in Senegal are regularly
making and using spears to hunt other primates - without human assistance -
according to research Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology. That
study, funded by the National Geographic Society, is the first to report habitual
tool use by non-humans while hunting other vertebrates.
Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, a graduate student at the University of Cambridge
in England, documented 22 cases of the chimps fashioning tools to use in hunting
smaller primates in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks. They made the
discovery at their research site in Fongoli, Senegal between March 2005 and
July 2006.
A paper on the study, authored by Pruetz and Bertolani and titled "Savanna
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) Hunt with tools," will be published
in the March 6 edition of Current Biology.
"We came upon the discovery quite unexpectedly," said Pruetz. "There
were hints that this behavior might occur, but it was one time at a different
site. Then I talked to my project manager (Bertolani) and he told me that he
saw a female hunt with tools. When he looked through original data that was
collected, we realized he had other evidence and observations of them probably
doing the same thing. While in Senegal for the spring semester, I saw about
13 different hunting bouts. So it really is habitual."
Learn more about Jill Pruetz’s research and an upcoming lecture she will
give on campus on-line at www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2007/feb/chimpstools.shtml.
News
DOWN UNDER - Mark Gordon, Distinguished Professor of liberal
arts and sciences and the Frances M. Craig Chair of Chemistry, and four graduate
students in chemistry, are in Australia at the Australian National University
collaborating with professors at that institution. The students are collaborating
on several projects related to theoretical chemistry.
Find out additional information on the journey on-line at www.las.iastate.edu/newnews/gordonaustralia.shtml.
Events
AT THE MOVIES - Four films from four different countries will be shown
during the Latin American Film Festival, sponsored by the Latin American Studies
Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The films are all subtitled
in English and will be shown in 1227 Hoover at 7 p.m. Admission is free and
the films are open to the public.
The film festival continues Thursday, March 29, with the 2001 Brazilian film
"Abril Despedacado."
Additional information on the film series is available on-line at www.las.iastate.edu/newnews/latinamfilmseries07.shtml.
Study Abroad
STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS - LAS students who are planning to study
abroad this summer or during the 2007 fall semester can apply for a LAS study
abroad scholarship. The deadline for summer programs is March 1 and the fall
program deadline is April 15.
www.las.iastate.edu/students/international/scholarshipfront.shtml
LAS International On-line
Michael Whiteford, LAS dean
Steffen Schmidt, LAS director of international programs
Dave Gieseke, LAS public relations manager
Send submissions to dgieseke@iastate.edu
